TNAG-0548-FCO40-643-Ministerial-briefs-for-meetings-with-Hong-Kong-press-1976 — Page 22

CONFIDENTIAL

R+R & D W Malta (3)

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Mr Male

PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts

HONG KONG:

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Tel to

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inue

Ace- Puzozi vozai

Mr Male M. Kafe.

NEWS EDITOR OF THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

In his letter of 5 November, Mr Sinclair asks for an interview with Lord Goronwy-Roberts when he is in London from

2-12 December.

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Following the General Election in February 1974, Mr Sinclair

rang several times from Hong Kong asking for personal telephone interviews with Ministers to explore their views on policy towards Hong Kong. After his attempt to contact Lord Goronwy-Roberts on 13 March 1974, he was told that the Minister would be unable to give an interview on the telephone. This was followed by a telex message from the Director of Information Services in Hong Kong passing on some extremely detailed questions which were answered in a very general way, Flag again through the Director of Information Services (FCO telno. 333

of 2 April 1974 to Hong Kong) This procedure was adopted partly because Ministers had not at that time considered any of the questions he asked in detail and partly because to answer them fully would go beyond what Members of Parliament could expect to be told in answer to a Parliamentary Question (Mr Stuart's submission of 1 april 1974). It was also thought advantageous to send the reply through Hong Kong Government channels because we have long taken the line that it was

part of the function of their Information Services to explain and defend the UK point of view. Some of his questions were also thought to be impertinent.

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Circumstances now are somewhat different in that Lord Goronwy-Roberts has visited the Colony and has given much time and thought to Hong Kong's problems. Mr Sinclair is not seeking to obtain answers on the telephone and has suggested a number of subjects for an interview which are legitimate matters for public discussion.

Mr Sinclair has apparently interviewed some of Lord Goronwy-Roberts's predecessors and it is for consideration whether we might not take a different view on this occasion than in the rather special circumstances of last year.

CONFIDENTIAL

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